Liquid-fuel-feeding device



T. T. GAFF.

LIQUIDFUEI. FEEDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 13. I917.

1,373,498Q Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

\ '7 [H.llllllllll grvuaw-foz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LIQUID-FUEL-FEEDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Application filed July 13, 1917. Serial No. 180,475.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs TRUEMAN GAFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia,

have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Liquid-Fuel-Feeding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for delivering charges "of gasolene directly into the cylinder of an explosive en ine ofthe type described in my U. S., atent No. 1,059,604, atented April 22, 1913. In that patent is s own and described a means for delivering gasolene under pressure from an accumulator into the cylinder by'means of an automatically controlled valve.

My present invention relates to 1mprovements in'the valve construction, whereby, because of its double action, no more than a measured maximum of. fuel can be delivered into a cylinder at any one time and the possibility of flooding is precluded; and

' also relates to improvements in the means for introducing the gasolene from the valve chamber into the cylinder, a series of exceedingly small openings being provided, so that the gasolene is ejected in such a fine state of subdivision that an explosive mixture is readily and certainly produced.

My invention further comprises means for electromagnetically operatmg said valve, the armature to which the valve stem is connected being movably mounted within the fuel conduit, in proximity to the pole-pieces of an electromagnet, these pole-pieces extending through the walls of the conduit.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isan elevation; Fig. 2 is a section on plane 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on plane.

' 4 is a detail view of the sleeve sur- Fi through the axis of the valve. 1

Referring particularly to Fig. 2,. the spark-plug 1, having the usual terminals 2, 3, is mounted in a special fitting 4, screwed into the head of the engine cylinder. Surrounding the spark-plug and fitting snugly within an extension 5, of the fitting 4 is a sleeve 6 shown in detail in Fig. 4. This sleeve 6 has in its outer-wall a narrow groove 7 which in practice is about one-sixtyfourth of an inch in width, and communicates at its lower end with a peripheral groove 8, beneath which is a flange 9 having on its upper inclined surface a series of fine or capillary grooves 10, in practice as small as from 0.0041 to 0.006'of an inch in width.

The extension 5 is formed at its lower end ing around the lower end of the extension 5, and adapted to deliver a fine spray of fuel in proximity to the terminals of'the sparkplug. The flange on the end of the sleeve can, of course, be left plain and the capillary grooves cut in the lower end of the extension 5.' The liquid fuel is delivered to the groove 7 from an opening 11, which in turn communicates with a chamber 12, (which may be called a measuring chamber) through an opening controlled by the lower end of the double-ended valve 13, whose upper end engages a valve seat in the annular plug 14, having a flanged head, this plug being screwed into an extension '21 of the fitting 4, and enabling an adjustis attached-that the expulsion of its contents cannot cause a flooding of the engine by the injection thereinto of an amount of liquid fuel greatly exceeding the maximum normal feed. As shown in Fig. 3, a series of grooves 15 are made in the central opening of the'plug 14:, to provide fuel passages around the stem 16, o the valve, this stem being threaded into the armature 17 of the electromagnet l8 and provided at its upper end with a slot enabling an adjustment of the air gap between armature and magnet oles without disturbance of the valve adustment- A retracting spring 19 is located between the up er. wall of the chamber 12 and a threads nut 12", on the valve 13 through which the tension of the spring may formed in a T-shaped fitting 20, which is screwed on to the extension'21. The bores chamber 12. The outer ends of the T-shaped fitting are closed by screwthreaded plugs 25, 26, and may be provided with inwardlyextending pins 27 which engage guidegrooves in the ends of the armature.

The operation ofthe device is as follows :The liquid fuel is delivered, under sufficiently .high pressure (e. g. 100 lbs. per

sq. in.) through the pipe 22 into the chamber,

19, whence it flows through passages 15 into the chamber 12, assuming the valve' 13 to be in its lowermost position and the magnet deenergized. This fuel is maintained under this pressure in the chamber 13, by the tension from an accumulator, as provided in my prior Patent 1,059,604:, which delivers the fuel under maintained pressure to the conduit 22. At the proper time, as by the mechanism described in my prior patent, the circuit of the ma net is closed, thereby shutting off the supp y of fuel, and opening the exit from chamber 12 to the passages 11 and 7, through which the fuel is forced, under pressure from the pressure-chamber 23 into the groove 8 and through the capillary passages 10 into the engine cylinder, in the form of a fine liquid or vapor spray. The

finely divided or atomized fuel is thus injected into the heated air in the cylinder, in the quantity requisite to produce an explosive mixture. As soon as the timing device breaks the magnet circuit, the injection ceases and the valve is again operated by the spring 19, to close the exit and open the inlet to the chamber 12. By this double valve action, there is thus injected for each engine stroke, a definite quantity of fuel,

determined by the length of time the magnet:

is energized through the timing device shown in my Patent 1,059,604. Should, however, the timing device, for any reason,

4 fail to break the circuit and deenergize the magnet 18, thus preventing the closing of passage 11 by valve 13, it will simultanefl ously stop the flow of liquid through passages 15, and no other liquid than that then contained in chamber 12 can pass into the engine cylinder. This prevents the flooding of the cylinder from the accumulator, which might otherwise take place. Further, this small quantity of fuel is preheated in passing through the passages 11, 'Z and 8 which are necessarily, when theengine is in operation, at relatively high temperature,

. timing mechanism, such as that described in my prior patent, may be used to cause the operation of the electromagnet.

While I have described in detail the construction and arrangement of the various parts of the device, myinvention is not limited to these particular constructions and arrangements, as other means of accomplishing the same results will suggest themselves to those familiar with the art.

I claim: j

1. In a fuel-feeding device for explosion engines, a measuring-chamber arranged to contain a definite amount of fuel, means for supplying fuel thereto under pressure, means for delivering under pressure the fuel contained in said chamber to the engine cylinder, said means comprising" a doubleacting valve and .a pressure-chamber connected to said measuring-chamber.

In a fuel-feeding device for explosion engines, a measuring-chamber arranged to contain a definite amount of fuel, means for supplying fuel thereto under pressure,

means for delivering under pressure the fuel it contained in said chamber to the engine cylinder, said means comprising a valve mechanism arranged to automatically close the fuel supply to Said measuring-chamber when the delivery therefrom is .open and vice versa, and a pressure-chamber connected to said -measuring-chamber.

3. In a fuel-feeding device for explosion engines, a measuring-chamber, means for adj ustmg the capacity of said chamber, conduits connecting said chamber to a pressure a pressure-chamber in open communication with said measuring-chamber, a valve arranged to alternately open and close said conduits and means for operating said valve.

5. In a fuel-feeding device for explosion engines, a cylinder member having a longitudinal groove thereon, a connecting peripheral groove. and a flange, in combination witha sleeve having inner surfaces fitting the outer surfaces of the cylindrical member and its flange and capillary openings formed between the flange and the inner surfaces of the sleeve.

6. In a fuel-feeding device for explosion engines, ameasuring-011amber having an exit opening in one end, an adjustable plug closing the other end of said chamber and having an inlet opening therethrough, a valve arranged to alternately open and close said openings, and means for operating said valve.

7. In a fuel-feeding device for explosion engines, a measuring-chamber having exit and inlet openings, a valve for controlling said openings, a fuel conduit connected to said chamber, an armature connected to said valve and Within said conduit, and an electromagnet mounted on said conduit and having a pole-piece extending therethrough into-proximity to said armature.

8. In a fuel-feeding device for explosion engines, a measuring-chamber having exit and inlet openings, a valve for controlling said openings, a fuel conduit connected to said chamber, an armature connected to said valve and within said conduit, an electromagnet mounted on said conduit and having a pole-piece extending therethrough into proximity to said armature, and means for adjusting the air gap between the armature and poles of the magnet without disturbance of the valve-adjustment.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

THOMAS T.. GAFF. 

